PACE president being on a visit in Azerbaijan met with law defenders and editors

The law defenders Saida Gojamanli, Arzu Abdullayeva, Novella Jafaroghlu, Leyla Yunus, Eldar Zeynalov and Avaz Hasanov participated in the meeting. The law defender S.Gojamanli has informed APA about it.

S.Gojamanli said that the pre-election situation, democratic environment, situation of the regions in Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict and other questions were discussed in the meeting. The law defenders brought to the attention of the guest the tense situation, the political struggle conducted by means of “black PR”, the problem of the Election Code on changing the composition of the commissions and restoring the right of NGOs to observe the elections was not solved, and the existed problem in distribution of identity cards.

They also informed that imprisonment of some former political prisoners is kept, and many persons are in migration. The law defenders also said that rights of hundreds of citizens were violated as a result of unfair judgments delivered by the courts. The Karabakh question was also the topic of discussion in the meeting.

Then the PACE president met with the heads of some press organs acting in the country. The editor-in-chief of the “Ayna-Zerkalo” paper Elchin Shikhli, editor-in-chief of the “Yeni Musavat” paper Rauf Arifoghlu, editor-inc-chief of the “Gunseher” paper Arif Aliyev, editor-in-chief of the “Gundelik Azerbaijan” Eynulla Fatullayev, spouse of the late editor-in-chief of the “Monitor” journal Elmar Huseynov Rushaniyya Huseynova participated in the meeting.

The sides discussed the pre-election situation, existing situation of the press, violation of the rights of the journalists, attacks to some press organs in Azerbaijan and etc.